Montreal businesses clean up after anti-curfew protest turns violent

Hundreds of protesters set fires and smashed windows through a swath of downtown Montreal on Sunday in defiance of a newly adjusted curfew intended to stem surging COVID-19 case numbers in the city.

MONTREAL — Business owners in Old Montreal will be assessing the damage this morning after an anti-curfew protest turned violent.

Hundreds gathered in defiance of an 8:00 p.m. curfew that took effect in Montreal and Laval on Sunday night.

A mostly young crowd danced to music from loudspeakers while lighting fireworks and chanting, “freedom for the young.”

But the festive atmosphere quickly soured as a few protesters lit a garbage fire in Montreal’s Jacques Cartier Square.

Police fired tear gas and rushed the crowd, prompting dozens of protesters to scatter and cause mayhem down the cobblestone streets of Montreal’s historic tourist district.

The protesters lit garbage fires at many intersections and seized projectiles from city streets, hurling them at nearby windows and shattering many.

There was no word from police overnight whether anyone had been injured or any arrests had been made.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 12, 2021.

The Canadian Press

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